Refrigerator having a show front with interchangeable panels



Aug. 19, 1924.

, L."A. BANTA REFRIGERATOR HAVING A SHOW FRONT WITH INTERCHANGEABLE PANELS FiIqd Jan. 27. 1923 5' wlji 1 5 T K J A V V 6 4.0 L 7 mu 7M.\ 4 6 6 Q7, w a 4 6 fi/ a J, & L

Patented Aug. 19, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEN ALBERT BAN TA, OF CLEARFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA.

Application filed January 27, 1923. Serial No. 815,328.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEN ALBERT BANTA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Clearfield, in the county of Clearfield and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerators Having a Show Front with Interchangeable Panels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in refrigerators and cooling boxes and, more particularly, to commercial refrigerators such as are used by butchers and other dealers in perishable food products.

The object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator or cooling box of the character indicated in association with a false front permitting the introduction of improved ornamental and publicity features without detriment to the efficiency of the refrigerator. Further objects will more fully appear in the course of the following detail description.

The invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts as hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

One sheet of drawings accompanies this specification as part thereof in which like reference characters indicate similar parts throughout.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a false front;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating the false front applied to the front of a refrigerator, and,

Fig. 3 is a plan view partly broken away and partly in cross section illustrating the application of the present invention.

In accordance with the present invention, the refrigerator 1 is constructed in accordance with any approved design and a false front is constructed either removably or directly to the refrigerator in accordance with the well knownrules of joinery and cabinet makin said false front comprising generally vertlcal pieces 5 and horizontal pieces 3 in such number and arrangement as may be desired, conforming to a plurality of panels 6 which are removably secured in position. The entire false front is spaced from the refrigerator front by means of strips 8, one extending horizontally adjacent the bottom and one vertically adjacent each vertical edge, by means of which strips the false front will be spaced from the refrigerator front constituting therewith and in association with said strips an open topped chamber 9. Suitable means of illumination such as incandescent electric light bulbs 7 may be secured within the chamber 9 either to illuminate the panel spaces 6 generally or to constitute characters which, under certain circumstances, will be apparent through said panels. The panels 6 may be made of translucent or transparent material and may be decorated or used to display inscriptions, advertising matter and the like.

The open topped chamber 9 permits a free circulation of air within the chamber and the exit of heated air through the top so as to prevent any undue heating of the refrigerator from the illuminating means.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim:

1. In a refrigerator the combination of a housing, a false front having translucent panels and secured in spaced relation to the housing adjacent its side and bottom edges and illuminating means intermediate the housing and the false front.

2. A refrigerator comprising in combination a housing, a false front, removable translucent panels in said false front, said front secured in spaced relation to the housing to form an open top chamber and illuminating means in said chamber.

LEN ALBERT BANTA. 

